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Chapter 2
What is the UK?
The four nations, capitals, flags, patron saints, languages, and how the United Kingdom is put together.
169 practice questions
The four nations
- 1The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- 2Great Britain means England, Scotland and Wales only — not Northern Ireland.
- 3Capitals: London (England, and of the UK), Edinburgh (Scotland), Cardiff (Wales), Belfast (Northern Ireland).
- 4England has by far the largest population of the four nations.
How the Union was formed
- 11707: the Act of Union joined England (already united with Wales) and Scotland to create the Kingdom of Great Britain.
- 21801: Ireland joined, creating the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
- 3In 1922 Ireland was partitioned. The Irish Free State left the UK; Northern Ireland remained. The official name became the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Flags, saints and emblems
- 1The Union Flag (Union Jack) combines the crosses of St George (England), St Andrew (Scotland) and St Patrick (Ireland). Wales is not represented on it.
- 2St George’s Day: 23 April. St Andrew’s Day: 30 November. St David’s Day: 1 March. St Patrick’s Day: 17 March.
- 3National flowers: rose (England), thistle (Scotland), daffodil (Wales), shamrock (Northern Ireland).
Languages and related territories
- 1English is the main language. Welsh is an official language in Wales. Other languages include Gaelic, Irish, Scots, Ulster Scots and Cornish.
- 2Crown dependencies — the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands (including Jersey and Guernsey) — are not part of the UK.
- 3British overseas territories include places such as Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands, St Helena, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands.